The rocky beach of Wemyss Bay has beautiful views across the bay and surrounding countryside and is a relatively quiet spot to go for a walk. Boating is popular and although there’s little sand even at low tide, children will enjoy having a paddle in the sea.
The beach is also known as Concrete Beach, because during World War II, it was covered with concrete to provide a durable surface on which amphibious craft could land. The weight of military vehicles would have destroyed the soft sand, eventually rendering it useless.
Concrete slabs are still visible on the beach, as are the remains of a winch which would have been used to pull the craft to the shore.
Wemyss Bay village serves as the port for ferries on the Sea Road to Rothesay on the Isle of Bute, and the beach is a well placed to watch the boats as they approach and leave the ferry terminal. The railway station in the village, designed by James Miller in 1903, famed for its beautiful glass and steel curves and regarded as one of the finest in Scotland, connects passengers from the island with Glasgow.
There are plenty of walking opportunities in the area, with the Inverclyde Coastal Path running behind the beach. From the railway station, take the path north following the shoreline. At the end of the beach, you can enjoy scenic views across the Firth of Clyde and the wetland habitats of the estuary, which are home to a wide variety of birds including curlews, oystercatchers, and gannets. Pods of dolphins and porpoises can sometimes be seen swimming in the bay, as well as seals basking on the rocks.
From here, continue to Kip Marina, which has 600 pontoon berths. You’ll then walk through Ardgowan woods, home to ancient trees such as oaks and beech, as well as more recent plantings like Corsican pine, Japanese larch, American Sitka spruce, and rhododendrons. In spring, the woods are carpeted with bluebells and breeding songbirds can be seen darting amongst the trees as they build their nests and feed their chicks.
A short walk inland will take you to a public path from where you can see the remains of Ardgowan Castle, also known as Inverkip Castle, a tower house built in the late 15th century on the site of an earlier castle. It sits in the grounds of Ardgowan House, a 18th century stately home. The house is not open to the public except for private events but you are welcome to walk round its park and gardens.
Carry on through fields which are grazed by sheep and cattle until you reach Lunderston Bay. You can either continue on around the coast to Fort Matilda via Gourock, or retrace your steps back to Wemyss Bay.
Wemyss Bay village has an interesting history. In the early 19th century, a family of Jamaican sugar plantation owners planned to turn Wemyss Bay into a Marine Village with villas, churches, a hotel, hot baths, terraced walks, and a steamboat quay. They built a sandstone mansion on a hillside overlooking the bay called Kelly House, but after losing their fortune the plans were scrapped.
Subsequent merchants and industrialists did develop the area, but little remains, with most of the buildings having been demolished by property developers in the 20th century. The original Kelly House was replaced by another mansion which burnt down in 1913. The site on which it stood is now a caravan park overlooking the beach.
There are plenty of cafes and restaurants in the village and around the ferry terminal and railway station, as well as pay and display car parks. Access to the beach is via a slipway.
